Overview for Delhi: Rising above Ruins
If the history of ancient India revolved around Patliputra, the history of modern India has been more or less Delhi-centric. Ever since it took over the reins. Delhi has been the seat of power. This led to a belief that whoever held Delhi, ruled India. But for a period when the Mogul Emperor Akbar ruled from Agra, this seems to have held true. In the course of history spanning over 900 years, Delhi has encountered all kinds of adversities and catastrophes, but has held on to its position nevertheless. In 1906, Gordon Risley Hearn, in his book "The Seven Cities of Delhi", had classified the Qutub area as the Old Delhi - the name now given to Shahjahanabad, which Risley had called the 'Modern Delhi'. All of the so-called citiers of Delhi, including Indraprastha, perished and yet Delhi survives. Remarkably, none of the cities of Delhi was called Delhi. It is only after their decline, that they all become a part of Delhi. Equally interesting is the fact that the phrase "The Seven Cities of Delhi" had been coined by Hearn way back in 1906 when neither New Delhi had been conceptualized, nor Indraprastha excavated, yet it still continues to be in application. Nevertheless, Delhi is amongst the richest cities of the world in terms of monuments. It has over 60,000 recognized monuments, depicting architecture from the Mauryan era up to the period of British rule, with the Islamic monuments comprising the major part of its rich archaeological heritage. These monuments constitute an inspiring saga of India’s past; where history speaks through stones and bricks. Delhi: Rising above Ruins covers 84 of such monuments with photographs.
Ranjan Kumar Singh (Author)
Ranjan Kumar Singh is a professional journalist with more than 25 years of experience in the field. He served the Times of India Group in Patna and Delhi before switching over to the audio-visual media. He has produced/directed more than a dozen features, docu-features and documentaries for various channels. His area of dexterity ranges from Information Technology to Art & Architecture. Whereas on one hand he has worked for TATA-IBM and Co-future on their technology missions, on the other he has represented India in the Third World Archaeological Congress to present a paper on the 'Theft and Smuggling of Antiguities', a subject close to his heart. He has also directed a film on the subject. He has been invited to the USA, UK, Norway, Austria and the Middle East to give lectures on various aspects of Indian Culture and Archaeology.
Bagchee
